Sunday with Manicotti, or Stuffed Shells for Days

total time:: 1 hr (30 minutes)

Pasta for days

I like to call this this is a favorite, or my “specialty”. Not only is it insanely scrumptious (the sauce, the cheese, ooohhhh yum), there is lunch the next day. Though careful making this on a night to go out. It can be quite filling and you can get a bit “garlicky”.

ingredients

1-2 Bottles of wine
2-3 cloves of garlic
15oz Ricotta Cheese (part-skim or lite)
15oz (or less) Cottage Cheese (fat free or skim)*
Package of shredded Mozzarella (or freshly shredded) and/or Italian mix
Parmesan is optional as well
1 Egg
Nutmeg
1/2 cup Fresh Basil (optional, but preferred)
salt
pepper
1 Box of Stuffed Shells or Manicotti
2-3 jars pasta sauce (or make you own ahead of time-look under sauce recipes)

directions

1
Open bottle of wine, red or white. Pour yourself a glass and enjoy.
2
In large bowl add Ricotta and cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, parm if wanted, 1 egg, pinch or two or nutmeg, 1tbs. od salt, 1 tbs of pepper, 1 tsp chili pepper, 1/2 of basil chopped.
3
Mix well until blended throughly.
4
Enjoy your wine.
5
Set aside, boil pasta until el dente or just before (not mushy). Rinse in cold water and drain well.
6
Pre-heat oven to 400.
7
Take 2-3 baking dishes (large casserole dishes are best, but cake pans, brownie pans, etc work well). Add thin layer of sauce to bottom of pans.
8
Enjoy wine.
9
Fill shells with cheese mixture and place evenly in pans. Then cover shells with all remaining sauce, top with remaining shells shredded cheese and rest of basil.
10
Cover pans with tinfoil and bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbly. May remover tinfoil during last 5-10 minutes of baking. Place pans on cooling rack and let sit 10 minutes. Serve with a nice garlic bread and more wine.
11
Shells for at least 3 days. Unless you have several people over.